Wednesday, August 11, 2010

An Easy Way to Become a Saint - August 11

God made us. How little we understand these words. Many have never heard a worthy explanation of them.

Who made us is one of the first questions in the Catechism. The brief answer is "God made us." Satisfied with these few words, Catholics go on living all their long lives hopelessly ignorant of the immense truth, joy and consolation hidden in them. As a result, they never even think of pouring out their most grateful thanks to the Almighty for this first infinite proof of love which He has given them.

They take the gift of their creation for granted and have not the faintest idea of how much they owe to God for bringing them out of nothing and giving them a glorious existence, an existence which will never cease.

Why did God create me? Simply because He loved me.

He saw me with all my poor weaknesses and defects. Yet He loved me that first moment with an infinite, personal love.

He could have just as easily created an Angel like St. Michael or a Saint like St. Paul. But no, He created me, and since that moment He has never ceased loving me and will never cease to love me, unless I outrage and offend Him. Even then He will take me back to His friendship, if I repent and ask His pardon. We can understand the wonderful love a mother feels when her first-born baby is placed in her arms. The love of all the mothers who ever lived is not equal to the tenderness and love of God when He holds us in His arms.

He not only created us, but He created us from an infinite love.

How did He create us?

He created us with His Own Divine hands. He did not depute an Angel to bring us into being, but employed in making us all His Omnipotent Power, His Divine Wisdom, His most tender love.

How perfect a thing we must be, and we do not know it!

All the famous painters, before beginning their great masterpieces, sought with the utmost diligence to find a suitable model so that their work might be perfect. Then they labored assiduously, using the minutest care in the execution of the picture. Almighty God, when creating us, also chose a model, the most perfect that even He could choose. That model was Himself. He made us to His Own image and likeness! He made us like Himself!

Our likeness to God does not consist in a mere external resemblance, such as a photograph is of the person it represents. We are like to God in the very presence of our nature. Our souls are spiritual, like God; they are immortal, like God; they will live as long as God lives, for ever and for ever. They are beautiful, like God. How could they be otherwise since He, the Divine Artist, made them after the most perfect model.

We have two great faculties like those of God, our intellect and free will. He planted, too, in our inmost being, a craving for Him that nothing else can satisfy, so jealous is He of our love.

And for what destiny did He create us?

He made us for the highest destiny that was possible; He made us for Himself. He made us not to be His servants, but to be His Own children, to be seated on thrones amidst the Angels, in His presence, sharing His infinite and eternal happiness.

How wonderful is the story of our creation! How is it possible that, knowing all this, we do not love God.

O, dear reader, think about and meditate on the infinite love of God in creating you. Weigh well every word that you have just read, for in every word you will find cause for joy and consolation....